Seward Power Station Receives ecomagination Leadership Award

NRG Energy’s Seward Power Station has been recognized by GE for reducing total water treatment costs by 25 percent over six years and saving 100 million gallons of water each annually.

Jul 09, 2013

GE has recognized NRG Energy’s Seward Power Station in New Florence, Pa., with its prestigious ecomagination Leadership Award for the plant’s significant improvement in water treatment reduction in costs with help from GE and its advanced water chemical technology.

The 525-megawatt coal-fired power plant turned to GE for help in optimizing the performance of its influent clarifier, which removes suspended solids from the water used for power generation and in the cooling tower. GE participated in a six-year effort, including chemical and operational changes and mechanical upgrades, to help Seward meet its goals.

Among other benefits, the Seward Power Station experienced a 25 percent reduction in its total water treatment costs per million gallons and a 100-million-gallon annual reduction in blow down water from the cooling tower. Since 2008, the Seward Power Station has achieved more than $500,000 in cumulative savings.

“GE and the team at Seward Power Station worked hand in hand over many years to implement this aggressive and ambitious plan to improve and optimize operation of the clarifier and the cooling tower. In the end, we improved water quality, saved money and had a more positive impact on the environment,” said Greg Mitchell, plant manager, Seward Power Station.

GE awarded Seward an ecomagination Leadership Award to recognize the company for its noteworthy reductions in water usage and discharge. GE’s ecomagination Leadership Award recognizes the achievements of industrial users that significantly surpass and improve environmental and industrial operational goals while balancing industrial demands.

“The six-year plan to optimize clarifier and cooling tower operations required commitment over the long haul from Seward Power Station. They saw the value in careful planning and implementation and the outcome was a win in savings for Seward,” said Kevin Cassidy, chemical and monitoring solutions (CMS) general manager—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.